NCERT Class 10 English Book PDF 2026-27: First Flight, Footprints Without Feet & Words and Expressions 2
eSaral Academic and Editorial Team
Summary
NCERT Class 10 English has three books for the 2026-27 session: First Flight (9 prose chapters + 10 poems), Footprints Without Feet (9 stories) and the workbook Words and Expressions 2 (9 units). All three are free on ncert.nic.in as Reprint 2026-27, and every chapter PDF is linked below. CBSE has not deleted any chapter from these books for the 2026-27 session.
Download NCERT Class 10 English Full Book PDF
Each NCERT book can be downloaded as one ZIP file that contains every chapter PDF plus the contents pages. Use these if you want the complete book offline in one go.
Book | What it is | Full book (ZIP) | Contents & prelims |
|---|---|---|---|
First Flight | Main textbook (prose + poetry) | ||
Footprints Without Feet | Supplementary reader | ||
Words and Expressions 2 | Workbook |
All links open the official files on ncert.nic.in, so you always get the current Reprint 2026-27 edition.
Which Books Are in NCERT Class 10 English?
CBSE prescribes three NCERT books for Class 10 English Language and Literature. Two are readers that are examined directly in the literature section. The third is a workbook for practice.
Book | Role | Content in 2026-27 | Used in board exam for |
|---|---|---|---|
First Flight | Main reader | 9 prose chapters + 10 poems | Extracts, short answers, long answer |
Footprints Without Feet | Supplementary reader | 9 stories | Short answers, long answer (12 marks) |
Words and Expressions 2 | Workbook | 9 units | Practice for reading, grammar and writing skills |
First Flight Class 10 English Book PDF – Chapter-wise Download
First Flight has 9 prose chapters and 10 poems. In the NCERT book, each poem is printed right after a prose chapter, so the poems are inside the chapter PDFs listed below and do not have separate files.
Ch. | Prose chapter | Author | Poem(s) in this PDF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | A Letter to God | G.L. Fuentes | Dust of Snow; Fire and Ice (Robert Frost) | |
2 | Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom | Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela | A Tiger in the Zoo (Leslie Norris) | |
3 | Two Stories about Flying (His First Flight; Black Aeroplane) | Liam O'Flaherty; Frederick Forsyth | How to Tell Wild Animals (Carolyn Wells); The Ball Poem (John Berryman) | |
4 | From the Diary of Anne Frank | Anne Frank | Amanda! (Robin Klein) | |
5 | Glimpses of India (A Baker from Goa; Coorg; Tea from Assam) | Lucio Rodrigues; Lokesh Abrol; Arup Kumar Datta | The Trees (Adrienne Rich) | |
6 | Mijbil the Otter | Gavin Maxwell | Fog (Carl Sandburg) | |
7 | Madam Rides the Bus | Vallikkannan | The Tale of Custard the Dragon (Ogden Nash) | |
8 | The Sermon at Benares | – | For Anne Gregory (W.B. Yeats) | |
9 | The Proposal (one-act play) | Anton Chekhov | – |
All 10 poems in order: Dust of Snow, Fire and Ice, A Tiger in the Zoo, How to Tell Wild Animals, The Ball Poem, Amanda!, The Trees, Fog, The Tale of Custard the Dragon and For Anne Gregory.
Stuck on a textbook question? Use the chapter-wise NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English on eSaral.
Footprints Without Feet Class 10 English Book PDF – Chapter-wise Download
Footprints Without Feet has 9 chapters in the 2026-27 edition. It is a supplementary reader meant for independent reading, and it is tested through short and long answer questions in the literature section.
Ch. | Chapter | Author | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | A Triumph of Surgery | James Herriot | |
2 | The Thief's Story | Ruskin Bond | |
3 | The Midnight Visitor | Robert Arthur | |
4 | A Question of Trust | Victor Canning | |
5 | Footprints without Feet | H.G. Wells | |
6 | The Making of a Scientist | Robert W. Peterson | |
7 | The Necklace | Guy de Maupassant | |
8 | Bholi | K.A. Abbas | |
9 | The Book That Saved the Earth | Claire Boiko |
Words and Expressions 2 Class 10 English Book PDF – Unit-wise Download
Words and Expressions 2 has 9 units, and each unit matches one First Flight chapter. Every unit has comprehension passages, vocabulary, grammar, editing, listening, speaking and writing tasks, and ends with a project.
Unit | Based on First Flight chapter | |
|---|---|---|
1 | A Letter to God | |
2 | Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom | |
3 | Two Stories about Flying | |
4 | From the Diary of Anne Frank | |
5 | Glimpses of India | |
6 | Mijbil the Otter | |
7 | Madam Rides the Bus | |
8 | The Sermon at Benaras | |
9 | The Proposal |
Note on unit numbers: the CBSE curriculum lists the workbook as "Units 1 to 4 and 7 to 11". That numbering comes from the older 11-unit edition. In the current 9-unit Reprint 2026-27, all 9 units above are part of the syllabus.
Chapters Not in the 2026-27 Class 10 English Books
CBSE has not deleted any chapter for 2026-27. The chapters below were removed when NCERT rationalised the books, and they are not in the Reprint 2026-27 edition. If an older PDF or website still lists them, it is outdated.
Removed content | Book | Status in 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
The Hundred Dresses – I | First Flight (prose) | Not in book or syllabus |
The Hundred Dresses – II | First Flight (prose) | Not in book or syllabus |
Animals (poem) | First Flight (poetry) | Not in book or syllabus |
The Hack Driver | Footprints Without Feet | Not in book or syllabus |
Hundred Dresses units | Words and Expressions 2 | Not in workbook |
Quick check: if your First Flight shows 11 prose chapters, or your Footprints Without Feet shows 10 chapters, you have an old edition. The current edition has 9 chapters in each book.
How Each Book Is Tested in the CBSE Class 10 English Board Exam
The English theory paper is 80 marks: Reading 20, Writing and Grammar 20, and Language through Literature 40. Only the literature section is based on the two readers. The reading passages are unseen, so they do not come from any book.
Question type (CBSE 2026-27) | Book | Marks |
|---|---|---|
Reference to context: 1 extract from prose/drama + 1 from poetry | First Flight | 5 + 5 = 10 |
4 out of 5 short answers (40–50 words) | First Flight | 4 × 3 = 12 |
1 out of 2 long answers (100–120 words) | First Flight | 6 |
2 out of 3 short answers (40–50 words) | Footprints Without Feet | 2 × 3 = 6 |
1 out of 2 long answers on theme, plot or character (100–120 words) | Footprints Without Feet | 6 |
Total from literature | 40 | |
For the complete paper design, see the Class 10 exam pattern and the full CBSE Class 10 syllabus.
How to Download NCERT Class 10 English Book PDF
- Pick the book: First Flight, Footprints Without Feet or Words and Expressions 2.
- Click Download next to the chapter you need, or the ZIP link above for the full book.
- The PDF opens on ncert.nic.in. Save it with your browser's download button or your phone's share menu.
- For a ZIP file, extract it to get all chapter PDFs and the contents pages.
How to Study From the NCERT Class 10 English Books
- Read each First Flight chapter with its poem together. They sit in the same PDF, so revising them as one unit saves time.
- Make a one-page sheet per chapter with the theme, the main characters and 3–4 lines you can quote. This covers most short answers.
- Practise character sketches for Footprints Without Feet. CBSE's 6-mark long answer from this book can ask for a character sketch, the theme or the plot, so prepare all three for every story.
- Use the workbook after each chapter, not at the end. Each unit's grammar and editing tasks build the skills tested in Section B.
- Write answers to word limits. Practise 40–50 words for short answers and 100–120 words for long ones, then compare with CBSE Class 10 previous year papers.
Want a fixed revision plan for Boards 2027? Join eSaral's Class 10 Crash Course online, or study in person at the Class 10 Offline Crash Course in Kota.
Related NCERT Class 10 Resources
NCERT Books for Class 10 (all subjects) | |
NCERT Class 10 Science Book PDF | |
NCERT Class 10 Maths Book PDF | |
NCERT Class 10 Hindi Books PDF | |
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 (all subjects) | |
Important Questions for Class 10 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books are there in NCERT Class 10 English?
There are three books: First Flight (main reader), Footprints Without Feet (supplementary reader) and Words and Expressions 2 (workbook). CBSE prescribes all three for English Language and Literature (Code 184) in 2026-27.
How many chapters are there in First Flight Class 10?
First Flight has 9 prose chapters and 10 poems in the 2026-27 edition. The poems are printed inside the prose chapters, so the book is split into 9 chapter PDFs.
How many chapters are there in Footprints Without Feet Class 10?
Footprints Without Feet has 9 chapters in the 2026-27 edition, from A Triumph of Surgery to The Book That Saved the Earth. The Hack Driver is no longer part of the book.
Has CBSE deleted any Class 10 English chapter for 2026-27?
No. The CBSE Class X English curriculum for 2026-27 does not delete any chapter. The Hundred Dresses I and II, the poem Animals and The Hack Driver were removed earlier during NCERT rationalisation and are not in the current books.
Is Footprints Without Feet important for the Class 10 board exam?
Yes. Footprints Without Feet carries 12 marks in the board paper: two short answers of 3 marks each and one long answer of 6 marks on theme, plot or character.
Is Words and Expressions 2 in the Class 10 syllabus?
Yes. CBSE lists Words and Expressions 2 as a prescribed book. All 9 units of the current edition are in the syllabus, and they help with reading, grammar and writing practice.
Where can I download the NCERT Class 10 English book PDF for free?
You can download all three books free from ncert.nic.in. This page links every chapter PDF and the full-book ZIP files directly from the official NCERT site.
Are the poems of First Flight available as separate PDFs?
No. NCERT prints each poem after a prose chapter, so the poems are inside the chapter PDFs. For example, Dust of Snow and Fire and Ice are in Chapter 1, A Letter to God.
Which edition of the NCERT Class 10 English book should I use?
Use the Reprint 2026-27 edition. If your copy has 11 prose chapters in First Flight or 10 chapters in Footprints Without Feet, it is an older edition that still includes removed chapters.
What is the difference between First Flight and Footprints Without Feet?
First Flight is the main reader with prose and poetry, and it carries 28 literature marks. Footprints Without Feet is a supplementary reader of short stories for independent reading, and it carries 12 marks.
Team eSaral
eSaral Academic and Editorial Team
Team eSaral is the collective author profile for educational content created by eSaral’s teachers and academic contributors. The team draws on expertise from IIT graduates, doctors, experienced educators and subject specialists to develop resources for JEE, NEET and school students. Our articles aim to explain concepts clearly and help students study with confidence.
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